Amon Hen

Objective: Frodo and Sam must survive.

The Fellowship is separated as the mission at Amon Hen opens. Aragorn, Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam begin the southwestern corner on the summit of a hill. Combat the attacking Uruks to complete the first task. The battle is relatively short so Frodo and Sam can participate in the battle, though you could toggle them to ranged attacks so the hobbits stay out of the thick of battle. Activate Aragorn’s blade master and use Gandalf’s wizard blast as needed. Heal the heroes with athelas.

After surviving the attack on the summit, the camera reveals Legolas and Gimli under assault by more Uruks. These heroes are located north of your start position.

Objective: Kill the Uruks attacking Legolas and Gimli.

Uruks attack Legolas and Gimli north of your position.

Select Aragorn, Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam and send them north toward Legolas and Gimli. Set Legolas and Gimli’s special abilities to auto so you can concentrate on maneuvering Aragorn, Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam to rendezvous and assist their comrades. Keep Frodo and Sam behind their stronger allies and set them to ranged attacks so the hobbits remain at long-range during a battle.

While in route to Legolas and Gimli, Aragorn, Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam encounter a couple cave trolls. Use Gandalf’s wizard blast or lightning sword and activate Aragorn’s blade master for the fight. Keep Frodo and Sam back and away from the cave trolls. Move Legolas and Gimli south to assist and add their abilities into the mix. Heal heroes with Aragorn’s athelas ability.

Defend the position against several more Uruk squads and a gang of warg riders. Cycle through your heroes and utilize the available special abilities--or set them to auto--to combat present enemies. Keep Frodo and Sam behind the better fighters; if they become targets, move them away and focus all other hero attention on the pursuers. As you defend the area, Boromir uses the Horn of Gondor--he, Merry, and Pippin are in trouble.

Objective: Assist Boromir and the Hobbits. Kill Lurtz.

Bonus: Save Boromir.

Locate Boromir, Merry, and Pippin on the eastern edge of the map. After clearing the immediate area, group your heroes and proceed east. The road moves through a valley; Uruk crossbowmen maintain position on the mountaintops flanking the valley road. Combat the foes with Legolas’ ranged attack or even send your melee fighters to attack the crossbowmen at close-range. Don’t send Frodo and Sam through the valley first and allow the enemies to target them.

Save Boromir by moving him away from enemy attack and by healing him with Aragorn’s special ability.

Group your heroes near Boromir to help fend off his attackers. Position Frodo and Sam away from the battle and switch the hobbits to ranged attack (if they aren’t already). Once all are together, activate Aragorn’s athelas ability to heal nearby heroes (including Boromir). Your other heroes’ attack abilities can be on automatic, though you may want to use them manually for optimum effect.

Lurtz, the Uruk-hai hero, arrives shortly from the south. Don’t let him pelt your heroes from long-range. Immediately select your melee forces and concentrate their attacks on Lurtz. Use Aragorn’s athelas once it’s recharged and save Boromir to complete a bonus objective.

Objective: Secure the boat so Frodo and Sam can escape.

The mission’s final task is to ensure Frodo and Sam’s safety in reaching a boat northeast of your current position. The enemy tosses everything at your position in an effort to prevent Frodo and Sam reaching the boat and their escape toward Mordor. Cycle through your heroes and manually implement their special attacks against enemy squads. Counter the cave trolls with Gandalf’s wizard blast then immediately focus all attack on a cave troll while it’s temporarily incapacitated. When Frodo and Sam reach the boat, the mission completes successfully.

Eaves of Fangorn

Objective: Destroy all enemy buildings. Destroy Lumber Mills to get Ents.

Bonus: Call in Eomer’s army when he arrives. Rescue Merry and Pippin. Level up three battalions.

At the Eaves of Fangorn, your command a small group of Rohan Rohirrim in pursuit of a squad of Uruk-hai, who coincidentally have captured Merry and Pippin, two hobbits from the Fellowship. Your orders are to crumble the enemy structures in the region; eliminating the enemy Lumber Mills, which are destroying Fangorn’s trees, will grant you the use of an Ent. The Ents are a race of "living" trees; they’re mobile (though slow), durable, and offer powerful melee and ranged attacks.

Destroy lumber mills to gain the favor of the Ents.

The Rohan army you’ve trained through the optional missions up to this point provides reinforcements into this battle. Obviously the stronger you’ve developed that army, the easier this mission becomes. As the mission opens, move to the southwest corner and just east of the start position to find a couple Lumber Mills. Acquire the Ents and add them to their own grouping.

Push carefully to the east and find the outpost. Build your own outpost and construct a farm, well, and armory. Acquire armory upgrades when available and add them to your Rohirrim and eventually to any of Eomer’s army. There’s another Lumber Mill slightly east; recover a third Ent. There are a couple cave trolls in the southeast corner. Don’t send your Rohirrim there. If you do want to eliminate the cave trolls, use Ents and their melee attacks.

You can toggle Ents between melee and ranged attacks. Keep a few Ents using their melee strikes; keep them at the front line and allow remaining Ents to use their boulder ranged attack to pummel enemy forces from longer range (also excellent at attacking enemy structures).

It’s possible an Ent may be hit by a flaming arrow during the course of the mission. A few hits and the Ent bursts on fire; move the lit Ent to the river and he’ll put out the flames (otherwise he suffers continual damage). Hold position at the outpost and utilize the well to heal your forces.

Split your Ents into melee and ranged attacks. Conduct battles near the Rohan wells to heal troop damage.

Call in Eomer’s army when available to conduct the push across the river and toward the enemy’s larger base areas. Collect and group the Ents to support your Rohirrim and Eomer’s army. Cross the river and move toward the west. Destroy more Lumber Mills, gain an Ent, and continue the push. Locate Merry and Pippin in the north on the western edge. Eliminate all enemies surrounding the hobbits; Merry and Pippin will escape into the forest.

The primary enemy camp is found in the north middle section of the map. Explore the northeastern area for additional Ents and topple more structures. Build farms on conquered sites to fund your armory upgrades; retreat your forces to the well to replenish health. Don’t hesitate to allow forces to approach your position at the well and bombard them upon arrival. Protect Eomer’s army for future missions. Clear out the enemy base and remaining structures to complete the level.